Toothbrush



R. R. RQUSH TOOTHBRUSH Jul 8, 1924.

Filed ADril 29, 192] ?atented July 8, 19 245.

RALPH 3. HOUSE, 0% COLUMBUS, OHIO.

TOOTB'IBRUSE.

Application filed April 29, 1921. Serial no. 465,455.

bus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, has invented certain new'and useful Improvements in Toothbrushes, of which the following is a specification.

This inventionrelates to an improved tooth brush, wherein improved features of design and construction are present which are employed in a mechanical sense for the purpose of enabling the operator or user thereof to manipulate the brush to advantage when engaged in the operation of cleaning teeth, in order that the bristles of the brush will be enabled to not only brush the anterior surfaces of the teeth but to be also capable of being used to advantage in properly reaching, without discomfort or inconvenience to the operator, the posterior surfaces of the teeth, and thus providing a structure whereby the teeth may be properly cleansed over all exposed surfaces thereof so that the same may be maintained in a thoroughly cleansed and sanitary condition.

The present invention aims particularly to provide a tooth brush which will constitute an improvement over the tooth brush of present conventional form and usage. As is well known, the ordinary tooth brush may be employed with facility when utilized in removing extraneous matter from the anterior surface of the teeth, but are not capable of being used to advantage when the rear or inner surfaces of the teeth are being cleaned, therefore, by reason of this fact tartar or other destructive film accumulates on the rear surfaces of the teeth and exercises injurious efiects thereon. The present invention consists in the provision of a brush wherein the handle portion terminates in an angularly disposed head, from which the bristles project in a direction substantially at right angles to the handle of the brush, the lower surface of the bristles being angularly disposed with respect to the head, whereby by virtue ofthese features of construction,the brush will be capable of being easily and properly positioned so as to engage all of the exterior surfaces of the teeth, permitting thereby of a thorough and aficient cleansing thereof, not only as regards their exterior surfaces, but also the interior surfaces. s v

For a further understanding of theinvention reference is to be had to the following description, and to the accompanying drawing, in which; I

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved tooth brush comprising the present myiention, and illustrating the use thereof, an

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the brush.

Referring more particularly to the details of construction involved in the specific embodiment of the invention disclosed in the drawing, the numeral 1 designates the brush 1n its entlrety. The brush, in this instance,

is formed to include a longitudinally extending handle 2, which ma beof any suitable proportions and forme from desired materials, one end of the handle terminatin in an outwardly curved slightly enlarg portion 3 which is of such formation as to enable the same to be readily adapted to the palm of the operators hand and to be prevented from slipping therefrom during active operation.

The 0 posite end of the handle 2 terminates so in an 0 set or angularly out-turned enlarged head 4, which is integrally formed with a handle 2 and is so designed that the same may be readily received without discomfort within the mouth. The head 4 consists of a s5 curved outwardly enlarging section 5, which is adapted to unite the handle 2 with the bristle receiving enlargement 6 provided upon the outer portion,of the head, and

bristles 7 are arranged to project from the substantially flat and oval surface 8 rovided upon the enlargement 6, the said ristles extending in a plane substantially arallel with the lon itudinal axis of the hea 4, and

at right ang es substantially to the handle 2, i the head 5 serving to space the bristles ap- It will be apparent from the foregoin that the resent invention produces a toot brush which by reason of the presence of the out-turned head 4 and thebristles 7 thereof, will enable the user thereof to. dextrously wield the brush so that the surface 9 may be surface9, the 100 positively, conveniently and easily brought into positive engagement with all tooth surfaces, and in such an effective manner as to enable the brush to positively remove all extraneous matter from the teeth. The surface 9 causes the brush to be used with a vertical up and down motion, or in other words when being employed the bristles of the brush are being moved away 'from the gums and not toward the latter thus preventing the brush from injuring the gums or to cause any receding thereof. In thisresp'ect .it may be noted that if the brush were to be used so that the bristles thereof would tend to be moved upwardly or downwardly toward the gums, the longer bristles, by being situated at the outer end of the head, will tend to bend over, thus preventing further brushing action and injury to the gums.

What is claimed is: v

A tooth brush comprising a handle and a brush head, the brush head having a shank the axis of which projects from the plane of the back thereof substantially at right angles thereto and a handle bent from the outer extremity of said shank in a broad curve lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the back, and a brush on the front of said 'head having substantially the whole of its brushing surface inclined to the plane of the face of the brush head and toward the handle. I

In testimony whereof I aflix myv signature.

RALPH R. ROUSH. 

